Leaf Cutting Ant Forum

This is really going to mess with your heads!!

This information is taken from a paper published in 2015 called Acromyrmex charruanus: a new inquiline Social Parasite species of Leaf-Cutting Ants

There are some species of Acromyrmex which parasitize others!!!!
Some have even lost their worker caste!!
Acromyrmex charruanus ( a brand new recently identified social parasite from Uruguay) parasitizes Acromyrmex heyeri colonies.
Acromyrmex ameliae parasitises colonies of Acromyrmex subterraneus
Acromyrmex insinuator parasitizes Acromyrmex echinatior nests. This species looks almost identical to its host species.

Both Acromyrmex insinuator and Acromyrmex ameliae retain the ability to produce small and medium workers whereas Acromyrmex charruanus seems to produce no workers. A. charruanus produces sexuals in February which is way outside the breeding time of Acromyrmex heyeri which produces winged sexuals during October to December. This is thought to be a mechanism to avoid competition for resources with the host colony.

The thought that there are Leaf Cutting Ant species out there that do not forage and work in the colony but utilise the resources of the host colony is startling and absolutely , fascinating. This seems very new research based on finding and observation made over 100 years ago. More research on this incredible finding is necessary. See what you can find!!

Here is a picture of an Acromyrmex queen and an inquiline parasitic queen!

Wow!

I'll tell you an interesting story about Ac. insinuator...
the species was discovered by accident. A team in Denmark were running some DNA gels and couldn't work out why there seemed to be two clear categories. They realised they were running queens from two species. The cool thing is, if you know this fact and then look at a parasited nest (the process is called inquilism) you can spot the two species of queens a mile off. Their thoracic "spikes" are set at different angles. It's really clear - but if you think they are all the same species then you pass it off as natural variation
the UK red wasp Vespula rufa (you find them on northern moorlands) is parastised by an inquiline species called V. austriaca - they smell like the queen and the workers accept them in. No need to pay the start up costs when you can just organise a subtle take over!

A fantastic find, but not highly surprising when you learn of the parasitic relationships that do exist within the animal and plant kingdoms. Our leafcutters certainly are fascinating!